Umakoti/ bride

Figure 18: Ndongeni, S. (2015) Umakoti clothing.

In many other Nguni groups, dress and accessories carried a narrative or visual symbolism for the wearer; though several of these have been lost due to modernization of the world. Nonetheless symbolism of dress and accessories still play an important role within the Xhosa culture especially when it comes to a marriage and being umakoti.

One of these is the headdress which is a symbol of respect towards both elders within the marital home and one’s husband (CSIR, 2018). Within each division of the tribes, various colours, clothing and beads hold various significances and when designing my final collection this will play vital role in the formation of my pieces (Magubane, vanishing cultures of south africa, 1998).

Ukuyala

Figure 1 Bacela, V. (2018)	Figure 2
The above pictures are of my sister in-law, when she was being welcomed into the family. According to tradition, it is the duty of the sister-in-laws (this case me), who are to name the new bride and to dress the new bride in her new umakoti clothing.

As part of being umakoti, the bride is treated as a new born, in the sense that since she is becoming a new member of the family; she is given a new name and brand new clothes. This represents the death of one stage and birth of another, as she will no longer be a girl but a wife. Once she has been dressed by the sister, she is then lead to meeting with all the family members and then given instructions by the family on how to conduct yourself within the family and outside the family home, this is called ukuyala.

Once this process has been conducted, according to tradition, she is to no longer to be referred to by her birth name, but by either her clan name or her new name. The new wife is also instructed that she is to no longer refer to her husband by name especially in front of others; she is to call him bhuti^[1] or Tata ka So-and-so^[2]. 

There is so much more involved in the making of umakoti, however for purposes of this report, when I refer to umakoti unless stated, I am referring to someone who has been married for 15 years or less, as a wife who is married longer is regarded as umfazi.